Alabama

Nuss Bus brings wings to Alabama

View full sizeFirst-year Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier makes a point during the team's Fan Day practice on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (The Birmingham News/Joe Songer)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - The Nuss Bus traveled more than 2,600 miles from Seattle, the previous workplace, to Tuscaloosa, and roughly 2,550 miles from home, which is Portland, Ore.

Go west, young man? Horace Greeley's famous urge needs an update.

Go south, young offensive coordinator.

"This is a special place," first-year Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said Sunday. "I feel very, very fortunate and blessed to be a part of this program here and the University of Alabama, everything it represents."

Even though he grew up far away in the Pacific Northwest, college football news traveled.

"Even as a young child, I remember Alabama football," said the 41-year-old Idaho graduate. "It speaks for itself. So that part of it, I think that's the first thing you recognize when you get here. This place is different. And it is special.

Nussmeier replaces Jim McElwain, who also had roots in the West. McElwain, now the head coach at Colorado State, served four years as Alabama's offensive coordinator.

In the spring, Alabama coach Nick Saban seemed adamant about the Tide's offense remaining the same. It still is clear that a pro-style offensive isn't giving way to the spread, but on Sunday, Saban seemed to indicate the offense will change some.

"The adjustments we've made in the passing game are going to be beneficial to our offensive team maybe being more explosive and creating more balance," Saban said.

The Nuss Bus, indeed, can fly. In Alabama's Fan Day practice Sunday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the air was filled with footballs.

Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart alluded to some new looks.

"I think he does a great job offensively, really enjoy what they give us a couple other personnel groupings, more than what Coach McElwain used," Smart said. "A high-energy guy out there at practice, a lot like McElwain. He and McElwain both came from similar backgrounds, so there's a lot of carryover there. They do a good job in the passing game, very innovative. Kind of have an answer for everything you do, so it's always a chess match when you get to go out there."

It isn't as if Nussmeier was asked to come in and fix an offense that was broken. He was asked Sunday about blending new ideas with Alabama's effective, established ones.

"That is challenging," he said. "It always is. Obviously, the things that we've done offensive here have been very, very successful. So you try and look at everything we've done, be objective about what really is good, what maybe can we grow and get better at, and what background do I bring that maybe is something a little new that we can add to help the system be better as a whole."

Some quarterbacks have ridden the Nuss Bus to the NFL: Jeff Smoker and Drew Stanton at Michigan State, Tom Brandstater at Fresno State and Jake Locker at Washington, where Keith Price now is a pro prospect. Nussmeier also coached Marc Bulger, Gus Frerotte and Ryan Fitzpatrick with the St. Louis Rams.

AJ McCarron could be the next prized pupil. Nussmeier is impressed with the Crimson Tide's returning starter.

"AJ's attitude, his willingness to work ... when you look at his body of work, from where he started at the beginning of least season to where he ended and then where started spring ball and finished it, and where he started fall camp, I think he continues to get better every day," Nussmeier said.

"Those guys, the learning curve's a little steeper," Nussmeier said. "They're working extremely hard. It's good to have two young players that can create competition for one another."

Coordinating an offense that features what experts believe is college football's best offensive line thrills Nussmeier.

"This is a very, very talented group of guys, as good an offensive line as I've ever been around in college football," he said. "We've got an opportunity to do some really good things with those guys."

"You see so many different looks," he said. "It exposes you, really, from a mindset that you have to really be looking at every play you're running. You learn really fast some strengths and some weaknesses you have in place. ...

"It's exciting. It's competition. I think anything you do with competition, you get better."